hornbeam back

[James Grebe]

Wow, Tim,  Thanks for all the info.
I'm just trying to get a piece to turn a few HHCC's, hopefully somewhere
close.

James Grebe
R.P.T. of the P.T.G
pianoman@inlink.com
Creator of Handsome Hardwood Caster Cups and Practical Piano Peripherals in
St. Louis, MO
-----Original Message-----
From: Tim Keenan & Rebecca Counts <tkeenan@kermode.net>
To: pianotech@ptg.org <pianotech@ptg.org>
Date: Sunday, November 15, 1998 8:09 PM
Subject: Re: hornbeam


>Stephen and James:
>
>The thing here is that each must know what the other means by hornbeam.
>There are two very different trees in eastern North America with the
>common name "hornbeam". They are both in the hazelnut family
>(Corylaceae). One is _Ostrya_ _virginiana_, known colloquially as
>hop-hornbeam, hornbeam, or ironwood.  The other is _Carpinus_
>_caroliniana_, known colloquially as hornbeam, ironwood, or blue-beech.
>Both are rather small trees.  O. virginiana occasionally reaches 60' and
>2' in diameter, but is more commonly up to 40' and about 1' in diameter.
> C. caroliniana reaches only about twenty feet and 10 inches in diameter.
> The wood of both species is very hard, dense, and strong, but that of O.
>virginiana is known for extreme toughness, like that of hickory, and has
>interlocked grain like hickory (which probably contributes to the
>toughness, and suitability for things like pick and axe handles).  To
>further complicate matters, there are two european species with the same
>common name, and they are members of the same two genera:  _Carpinus_
>_betulus_, and _Ostrya_ _vulgaris_.  I don't have any information on them
>readily available.  It may be that any of these species would suffice for
>your purpose. Maybe not, though.  Certainly what is known in Canada as
>poplar (a member of the Willow family) would not be at all suitable for
>many of the uses to which the American "poplar" or "yellow-poplar" (a
>member of the Magnolia family) is put.  I know that had Socrates drunk a
>decoction of what we in North America call hemlock, the course of Greek
>history might have been somewhat different.
>
>I must agree that A&M has a terrific selection of all kinds of wood--I
>used to go there to browse just for the all the exotic smells!  I would
>imagine that either species of hornbeam would be difficult to find "off
>the shelf".  They both grow as understory trees in a mid-successional
>stage of an eastern hardwood forest, and are found as scattered
>individuals rather than in pure stands.  They would be looked upon more
>as a nuisance than as a resource by most woodlot managers or foresters.
>I would check with the forestry department at your nearest University
>that has one, and get the names of individuals in your geographic area
>who might do custom sawmilling.
>
>Tim Keenan
>Noteworthy Piano Service
>Terrace, BC
>